LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4306, 15 March 1901, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A woman had her purso stolen from her pocket in the crowd at one of the doors of, the Opera House last night. The case of Mock ton v. Leonard is set downfor hearing before Mr Justice Cooper in the Supreme Court to-day. Mr Justice Edwards will take chamber business. The following additional subscriptions have been received towards the Queen’s Statue Fund:—R. C. Brien,' £1 Is; R. 6. Knight, 2s. The total amount received to date is £1360 2s 4d. Mr Justice Edwards will this morning deliver judgment in the following cases: —Commercial Agency v. Adams, tho Land Transfer Act in re Collins and McCarthy, and Ayres v. tho Pharmacy Board. In his judgment in tho case in which George Fisher sued Mary C. Fisher, wife of his son William, for £lO, money lent, Hr McArthur, S.M., yesterday awarded the plaintiff the amount claimed, with costs, and disallowed a counter claim for £ls. Dr McArthur, S.M., presided at the Police Court-yesterday, when John Armstrong was fined 7s, or twenty-four hours' imprisonment, for drunkenness on Lambton quay, and Wm. Haydon 7s, or twentj'-four hours, «for a similar offence on the s.s. Te Kapu. Decision was reserved in a case in which a man named Charles Mowat was charged with persistent cruelty to his wife.

The case Commercial Agency v. Searl was called on at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, being a claim for £56 Is 6d, brought on behalf of Alfred Tindall, late manager of Searl’s Hotel, against E. J. Searl, for balance of wages and disbursements on his employer’s account. Tindill gave evidence of his engagement at £2 2s a week, in August, as clerk and manager of the hptel. Subsequently he was relieved of these duties and put in charge of Searl’s laundry at Petone, nothing being said about change in rate of wages. Mr Atkinson, instructed by Mr Meek, appeared for plaintiff and Mr Hislop for defendant. The Court rose at five o’clock, the case being adjourned until this afternoon.

. Before Dr McArthur, S.M., yesterday, sitting in civil jurisdiction, Rouse and Hurreli sued E. R. S. BlaxaiJ, baker, Westport, claim £3O 14s, the amount of a promissory note given for a baker’s cart made by plaintiffs for defendant. Defendant entered a counter claim for £4O damages through non-delivery of the cart at the specified time. After hearing the evidence, the Court gave judgment for plaintiff for the amount claimed, and £4 2s costs, and allowed defendant £l2, on his counter claim, and £5 19s costs. Mr Tolhurst appeared for plaintiff and Mr Cooper for defendant. In the case of Peter Gorrick v. J. D. Parminter, the plaintiff, a wharf labourdr, sued defendant, the secretary of the Wharf Labourers’ Benefit Society, for £ll ss, which plaintiff claimed was due to him as sick pay under the rules of the society of which he was a member. The defence raised was that the Court had no jurisdiction, and that the case should be decided according to the society’s'rules, with which plaintiff had not complied. Dr McArthur reserved his decision. Mr Cooper appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Dalziell for defendant.

'lho Mon. J. G. Ward will open the leiv post office at Eketahuna to-morrow.

'the insurance offices in tno city v; observe a holiday on Monday in ce brat ion of St.. Patrick's Day.

The tender of Messrs Briscoe, AJacNcd and Co. for water-pipes was last niylifc accepted by the City Council.

Dr Gillon has decided to contest tho Patca scat in tho Government interest in tho event of tho resignation of Mr G. Hutchison. At a meeting of the Patriotic Fund Committee held yesterday morning (the .'favor presiding), it was decided to give temporary financial assistance to three returned members of South African eonr thigciits. "A mc'ding of the Larnbton Ward, branch of the Libera! and Labour Federation was held at tho Seamen’s Union rooms, Willis street, last night. It was reported that forty-seven members had been enrolled. Mr E. Arnold was elected as honorary treasurer pro tern. According to a return asked for by Councillor Izard, and presented to the City Council last night, 912 dogs have so far been registered this year, and 112 have linen taken off tho streets. Of fhe latter number, fifty-eight wore claimed aiuf paid for, thirteen were sold, and forty-oue were destroyed.

The improved, prices for horseflesh extend to wild horses of all descriptions. Last week, says tho Taihapc correspondent of tho Wanganui ‘■Chronicle,'’ the Maoris were selling tmbroken horses from several of their clearings. i.uesc brought up to £i) 10i for good colts, winch in past seasons would only command from £1 to LI. The Mayor Informed Councillor Mur-

doch at the meeting of the City Council last night that the other day he mentioned the condition of Uowon street to Hie Premier, tie asked tho Premier why ho did not have the Government

House fence lowered, so as to give the Council an opportunity of doing something to tho footpath on that aide of the street. When tho Government lowered tile fenoo he. (tho Mayor) had no douht the City Council would do its dutv.

It is intended to lay tho Town Hall scheme hefero the, ratepayers of the city at a public meeting to ho held on Monday, tho 2Cth instant. The City Connell decided iu.st night chat the -viayor and tlid Town Clerk should select a hall for tho mooting. During a brief discussion, Councillor Winder said: I have never seen a report as to how wo are going te. finance it. Councillor Hard: What do you mean by “(ioance it”? Councillor. Winder; Showing how tho Town Hall is going to' pay. I have never seen any report about that.

The polo match between the team of Victorian players now touring tho colony and a team representative of New Zealand takes place at Miramar to-day, and promises to bo an exciting and weilcontestcd game. The public will be able to rcauli Miramar by the ferry steamer Duchess, which is to make her initial run to tho now wharf at 2.15. The Duchess will make the trip ’ in fifteen minutes, and then a three minutes’ walk will bring the visitor to. tho polo ground. The steamer will leave the wharf on. her return journey at five o’clock.

.Dr McArthur, S.M., give judgment for plaintiffs in the following civil cases yesterday:—Commercial Agency v. Edwin Wells, claim £6 17s 4d; same v. Harry Peacock and Alma Coleman, £4 12s 7cl; same v. Charles Nordell, £1 10s 9d; same v. A. Lambert, £3 7s lOd; same v. G. W. Banks, £1 7s 9d; Universal Supply Company v. George Mitchell, £4 2s 6tl; same v. I. Tofts, £5 6s 8d; John Duthie and Co. v. Wm. J. Christie, £5 3s. In the judgment summons case Te Arc. Loan and Discount Company, Limited, v. John Maysmor, claim £3 15s 3d, defendant was ordered to pay on or before 2nd proximo, it being proved that he is a clerk in regular employment; in default seven days’ imprisonment.

The Lighting Committde of the City Council has recommended—That an additional lamp bo erected in Frederick street, and the present one shifted, so as to equalise the distance between the two; that a lamp be erected in the centre of Goring street; that lamp No. 377, Roxburgh street, be shifted so as to be opposite tho entrance! to Caroline street ; that tho request tor a lamp in lower Featherston terrace Oo not granted. The report was adopted at last night’s meeting. The committed has arranged to visit several localities where lamps are asked for, and will report on these, and also on the positions for the twenty-three new sire lamps, at the medting to be held on tho 28th instant.

I invoke your aid (writes “A Disturbed Resident”) in suppressing the nuisance that residents m tho vicinity of Tinakori road are occasionally subjected to. For the last evening or so i the occupants of tho houses mentioned have been molested by a psalm-singing contingent of preachers, who hold their religious meetings at the corner of a highly respectable street. Would it bo ridiculous to offer a suggestion to these persons so affected by pious sentiments for them to disturb the residents in our slums, instead of creating snob an abominably unnecessary disturbance in such a neighbourhood as Tinakori road. The good they derive from their laborious task in such a locality can only be conjectured, as tho people of tho district ■aro already civilised.

A deputation, consisting of Messrs Samuel Brown, B. Dawson (Laery and Co.), Thompson (Thompson Bros.), L. Casolberg (W.F.C.A.) and Davidson, waited on Mr T. Ronayno, General Manager of Railways, yesterday, with a request that tho time allowed for demurrage should be extended from, five to twenty-four hours; that demurrage should not bo charged on tho statutory half-holiday, when goods could not be lifted; that tho railway gates should be left open on Saturday afternoons for the benefit of carters; that notices should hd served overnight on consignees of goods; that Is fkl instead of os should bo tho charge for leaving trucks under load an extra day; and that an efficient check should bo kept by tho department’s employees on sacks of chaff leaving tho trucks. Mt* Rqnayne promised to furnish a written reply on behalf of the department in a few days. It is proposed, in the event of tho abandonment of the Easter encampments by tho Government, that an arrangement shall bo made by which the Wellington Rifle Battalion will got some work in tho open during tho holidays. It is proposed that tho battalion shall leave Wellington some time on Good Friday and journey by train to the Summit. At that point tho men will fall into marching order, carrying their camp equipment with them, and head for Masterton, which they hope to reach in four stages of from ten to fourteen miles a stage. All along the rente to the commercial capital of the Wairarapa—which will be by Featherston, Greytown and Carterton—skirmishing partiesi ■ will be, from time to time, thrown out, as would be done iu war time while passing through a. hostile! country. The carrying put of tho idea, which is conceived to bo iu consonance with the best principles of Continental military teaching, will be watched with interest nob lesp by civilians than by those concerned! in our military resources.

Letters of naturalisation have been issued to Edward Kryzer, Wanganui. Amended regulations under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act appear in this week’s “Gazette.”

Air Neil McPhce (Danncvirke) and Mr Henry C. Gillespie (Thames) have resigned from the Commission of tho Peace..

In reply to a question raised at the City Council table last night, the Mayor said a claim had been made upon the Government for half the cost of erecting a plague hospital in Wellington, as Per agreement, but that no remittance had yet come to h and.

Among the intestate estates placed in tho hands of the Public Trustee for administration are those of tho late William Blanford (Wellington), Amy P. Cunninghame (Palmerston North), Daniel Kane (Hunterville) and Hanna Raffoul (Wellington). Ihe “Wairarapa Daily Times” states that settlors in the Mastorton districts are now destroying all kinds of noxious weeds, sweetbriar sharing the fate of those of a more troublesome nature. This .step has been taken at tho instance of tho Department of Agriculture.

Among the Volunteer appointments in this week’s “Gazette” are : —Dr W. Bey

to be Surgeon-Captain, Volunteer Medical Staff; Rev A. M. Johnson to be honorary chaplain to the Greytown Rifles; Rev C. C. Harper to bo honorary chaplain to the Palmerston Guards.

Tho time for the preparation of the district debtors’ roll for the Borough of Wellington has been extended to the 21st instant. Objections will bo received up to the 10th April, and the City Council will sit to determine claims and objections on the 17th. The roll comes into

force on the following day. - Tho difficulty in connection with the Mastertou Borough Council's drainage lean, .security for which, the Government claimed, was not provided by the rate it was proposed to strike, has been overcome, and the matter will be adjusted in a, few weeks’ time. The money will be available immediately afterwards.

A warrant appears in this week’s “Gazette” authorising the Minister of Lands to construct a bridge over the Raugitikei river, near Bulls. The cost has been apportioned among the local authorities interested as follows : —Rangitikoi County Council, £2985 5s lid; Manawatu Council, £2085 os lid; Bulls Town Board, £1279 8s 2d. Tho Wadestown schoolroom was well filled last night, when Mr O’Regan, by special invitation, delivered an address on rating on unimproved values, in connection with the poll which is to be taken in the Onslow Borough on tho 20th inst. At the conclusion of his address a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr O’Regan. A resolution was unanimously carried pledging those present to do their best to secure a majority when the poll takes place. Mr O’Ragan answered a great many questions illustrating the advantages of exempting improvements from rates. Mr A. R. Atkinson, M.H.R., presided.

Our Carterton correspondent writes

—While passing through hero on Wednesday, the Premier informed Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, M.H.R., that all boroughs having fewer inhabitants than set forth in the Act for an increase of Councillors, will retain their present number of nine. Mr Martin, the Municipal Association solicitor, has advised 'that borough representation cannot he reduced until .after the April elections, and the Colonial Secretary—acting, presumably, on the advice of the Solicitor-General—-has told the Connell (to use the words of the immortal Dooley), “to do as it pleases.” The Municipal Act is a labyrinth of inextricable technicalities, and from its “Yes-No” standard, would seem to have been drafted by that astute Australian politician, Mr G. H. Reid. _ According to the rainfall returns for February, the heaviest fall in the North Island was 10.60 inches at Opotiki, where 3.10 inches fell on the 4th inst. At Parua Bay 3.47 inches fell on the' 22nd, and at Waihi 3.20 inches on the 23rd. The of days' rain was 17 days, at New Plymouth and Kapara. Tire lightest fall for the month in tho North Island was 1.82 inches, at Otahnao. In the South Island the heavi-

est fall was, as usual, at Pnysegur Point, where 19.94 inches were registered. The next highest was 10.61, at tho Quartz Ranges (Collingwood). The latter place had tho heaviest fall for single day, 5.19 inches falling on the 3rd ult. Pnysegur Point had 23 days’ rain, and Stewart Island 19. The lowest fall for the month was 1.01 inches, at Kapunatiki.

It was stated at the annual meeting I of the Palmerston North Gas Company, j last night, that during the past twelve 1 months further street mains had been! laid in that town to the extent of nearly one mile, for_the purpose of supplying street lamps, andl several new services had been laid. The number of new consumers had increased, and there were several cooking and heating stoves in use, in addition to a fair number of gas engines. The number of street lamps had been increased by 24, making a total of 130 lamps in the borough. There were 22 incandescent street lamps, and iu The Square six double arc lamps. Dr Collins believed he could say that at the present time the lighting of the streets of Palmerston North would compare favourably with that of any other town in Now Zealand.

A demand has been circulated amongst tho local bodies of Wellington and Wairarapa, which is likely to be sternly resisted by most of them. .It is proposed to build a new bridge over the Hutt River at a cost of £15.000. Of this amount the Wellington City Council has been called upon to contribute onefourth, the Petone Borough Council oneeighth, the Wairarapa North County Council and the Onslow. Melrose, and Karori Councils and the Johnsonvillo Town Board each one-forty-eighth. The Lower Hutt Council, which is projecting tho work, is prepared to provide for "the balance of the cost.” The matter came, before tho Wellington City Council last night, and it was decided, on the motion of tho Mayor, that the matter bo referred to the City Solicitor and officers of the Council, with an instruction to take stops to oppose the claim.

The question of the right of the Wellington librarian to take outside work was raised at the City Council last night, as the result of a question of Councillor Izard, and elicited a short debate. Councillor Barber hoped an inquiry would be held into tho matter. The Council

should pay its librarian a sufficient remuneration for his duties, and should then prevent him from entering into competition against ratepayers for other appointments. Luke said Mr Rowe’s case was exceptional. He was especially qualified as a high school examiner, and his services wore eagerly sought after. Councillor Evans (chairman of the Library Committee) agreed that no official of the Council should carry ,on like duties outside to the detriment of his fshows, but Mr Rowe’s case was exceptional. He (Councillor Evans) believed Mr Rowe had sufficient conscience to prevent his examining work from interfering with his duties as librarian. The.matter then dropped.

j Tenders for pumping-engines received by the City Council have been referred to a. committee for inquiry. A successful practice of the choral part of Mr Barnett’s Jubilee Ode was held hist night, there being about 200 voices. The altos were in good proportion, but there is still need for more male voices. During the practice Air Wm. Gill, president of the Orchestral Society', stated that two reasons'had influenced the society to introduce the innovation of choral music at its next concert—the desire, first to recognise merit, second, to pay a graceful compliment to Air Aiaughau Barnett, the conductor, and, further, to give the public of Wellington an opportunity to hear a choral work which was highly spoken of in Christchurch , where- it was twice performed. Mr Gill also referred to the desirability uf combined and determined action on 1 lie part pf those favourable to the erection of a Town Hall, the need of which has been so long felt.